Gun positioning system having a recoil operated protective device



P. H. GIROUARD GUN POSITIONING SYSTEM HAVING A RECOIL OPERATED PROTECTIVE DEVICE Filed April 5, 1940 March 8, 1949. $2,463,531

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' 38 RELAY 37 SOLE/V010 49R/M'E SOLENOID CLl/TC/l INVENTOR Phi/ias Girauar'd Patented Mar. 8, 1949 UNITED STATES ATENT GFFEE GUN POSITIONING SYSTEM HAVING A RE- COIL OPERATED PROTECTIVE DEVICE (Granted under the act of March 3,1883, as amended April 30, 1928;: 370 0. G. 757) 7 Claims.

This invention relates to a means for protecting the power developing and speed regulating equipment of the elevating and training mechanisms of guns from the injurious eifects of the recoil of the un.

Large guns mounted on ships and similar firing platforms are positioned in train and elevation by electric motors, the power from which is transmitted. to. the gun by mechanical or hydraulic means, or both. The rate of movement of the un may be controlled by varying the speed of the motor in accordance with movements of a director, or a constant speed motor may be used and an hydraulic speed varying device placed in the power transmission means between the motor and the .gun.

The shock of firing of such guns is very large and a portion of it is often transmitted through the gun. positioning means back to the electric motor, where it may stop the motor orreverse its rotation with consequent damage to the motor and its controller. When this occurs the position of the gun will also be changed, which in itself is, an undesirable efiect.

Itisan object of the present invention to eliminate these undesirable effects.

It is a further object of this invention to lock the gun against. movement during recoil and simultaneously to relieve the load on the electric motor, or on. the hydraulic pump and'motor in the speed varying device, if they are used, or on all of thein.

It is a further object of this invention to enable the size and weight of the power developing and speed varying equipment of the training and elevating mechanisms of guns to be materially reduced.

With therforegoing objects in mind, a complete understanding of the invention may be had by a careful consideration of the following description, taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic elevational view, partly in section, of'a portion of a gun, recoil cylinder and an elevating or training mechanism utilizing hydraulic and electrical equipment, showing the application of the invention thereto; and,

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic showing of an. elevating or training system which utilizes an elec-v trio motor but no hydraulic equipment, showing the application of the invention thereto.

As shown in Fig. 1, gun barrel 3: is mounted in slide I for movement therethrough. The gun yoke 2 is rigidly connected, by means of a piston rod 33, to a piston 4 sliding in recoil cylinder 3. An extension 34 of the piston rod projects past the forward face of the piston 4 into a small counter recoil cylinder 5.

The training or elevating mechanism shown in Fig. 1 comprises a constant speed electric motor 28 driving an hydraulic pump 26 through shaft 21. The pump in turn drives an hydraulic motor 20. through pipes 2i and 25. The motor Zll drives a shaft. It having an end I? to which is secured the elevating or training input, shaft of the gun. The speed of the motor 2!} is controlled by controlling the inclination of a swash-plate 35. in the pumpzfi. The inclination of this plate may be controlled by means of hand Wheel l2 which, through shafts I 3 and I5, may operate control mechanism in control box IE, either directly through a nut and screw arrangement or through a servo-motor. Control of the swash-plate may also be effected from a director, by conventional remote control means acting through control box [6.

The foregoing mechanism is all of a known type. The following description will show the manner of application of the invention to mechanism of this type.

The shaft 13 is interrupted by a solenoid operated clutch M. A by-pass 22 is located between pump 26 and motor 20 and is governed by valve 24 which is normally held closed by a solenoid. The output shaft l9 is provided with a brake l8 normally held inoperative by a solenoid. These solenoid operated mechanisms are all in an electrical circuit which is normally closed. As long as. the circuit is closed the clutch It will be engaged, the valve 24 will be held closed and the brake is will be held in an inoperative position. The circuit includes a pressure operated contactor 6 located in communication with the interior of the counter-recoil cylinder 5 and a pressureeoperated contactor located in communication, with the interior of the recoil cylinder 3. The circuit consists of lines 3, 8a, contactor 1, lines 36, contactor 5, line 9, 9a, and branches l6,

H and 23 leading to the various solenoid operated mechanisms. The control of clutch M by this circuit is not necessary but may be considered desirable.

Upon firing, the gun recoils, pressure rises in the recoil, cylinder 3, and the contactor l is opened, whereupon the brake i8 is actuated to lock shaft 59, thus locking the gun in position and stopping the action of the gun recoil force on pump 26 and motor 28 and preventing damage to either of them, and valve 24 isopened, allowing fluid from pump 26 to by-pass through pipe 22, thus relieving the hydraulic pressure load on pump 26 and motor 28. If it is desired to disconnect the hand wheels I2 from the pump control shaft l5, this may be accomplished by the solenoid operated clutch Hi When current is interrupted in line H. The hand wheels 12, however, will not necessarily be in control.

Upon completion of recoil, the pressure in cylinder 3 drops to normal and contactor 1 closes the circuit from line 8 to line 36. This releases brake l8, closes by-pass valve 24 and, if desired, connects clutch l4, restoring normal operating conditions throughout the system.

Upon counter-recoil, pressure rises in cylinder 5 and the switch 6 opens the circuit.

If desired, the contactor 6 may be omitted, since it may be found that the counter-recoil action on the movement of the gun in train or elevation is desirable in that it tends to assist the shaft to restore conditions existing prior to gun fire.

The source of current for the electrical circuit may be the same as for motor 28, or for motor 3!, or may be a separate generator or other separate source.

In Fig. 2, the hydraulic equipment is omitted and the shaft I9 is driven by the electric motor 3|. The control means for this gun positioning motor may be of any desired type, since this invention has for one of its objects the protection of the motor during gun fire. When the electrical circuit is broken at 5 or I, the brake [8 sets, stopping the action of the gun recoil force on motor 3|, and the clutch I4 is disconnected as in Fig. l. The control circuit 29 for the motor is also broken by the opening of closed relay 31, permitting the motor 3| to be stopped by brake IS without causing dangerous currents to flow in the motor. If it is preferred, the control circuit for motor 3| may not be broken, but the motor may be disconnected by a solenoid operated clutch 38 at any point in the mechanical connections between motor 3! and shaft l9.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and/or used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

I claim:

1. In a gun positioning mechanism comprising a gun, an electric motor, an hydraulic pump driven thereby, an hydraulic motor operated by said pump, means to transmit power from said hydraulic motor to drive said gun, and control means for said pump; means to protect said electric motor from shocks incident to firing said gun, said means comprising a brake for holding said power transmitting means immovable, thereby preventing any gun movement under the control of said mechanism, a valve for by-passing the discharge from said pump, means for interrupting the action of said control means, and means actuated by the recoil of said gun to simultaneously apply said brake, open said valve and actuate said interrupting means.

2. In a gun positioning mechanism comprising a gun, a source of power and means to transmit power to drive said gun, means to protect said mechanism from shocks incident to firing, said means comprising an electrical circuit, means governed by said circuit and normally inoperative, but capable of being rendered operative by proper conditioning of said circuit, to stop the action of said power transmitting means and render said power source incapable of exerting force on said power transmitting means, and means actuated by the recoil of said gun to so condition said circuit as to render said normally inoperative means operative.

3. In a gun positioning mechanism comprising a gun, an electric motor, an hydraulic pump driven thereby, an hydraulic motor operated by said pump, means to transmit power from said hydraulic motor to drive said gun, and control means for said pump; means to protect said mechanism from shocks incident to firing said gun, said means comprising a brake for holding said power transmitting means immovable, thereby preventing any gun movement under the control of said mechanism, a valve for by-passing the discharge from said pump, means for interrupting the action of said control means, operating means for said brake, said valve and said interrupting means, an electric circuit arranged to control the action of said operating means said circuit being normally conditioned to render said operating means inoperative, and means actuated by the recoil of said gun to so condition said circuit as to render said operating means operative.

4. In a gun positioning mechanism comprising a gun, an electric motor and means to transmit power from said motor to drive said gun; braking means for stopping the action of the gun recoil force on said power transmitting means, means to relieve the load on said motor, an electric circuit arranged to control the operation of said brake and said load relieving means, said circuit being normally conditioned to render said brake and said load relieving means inoperative, and means actuated by the recoil of said gun to so condition said circuit as to operate said brake and said load relieving means.

5. In a gun positioning mechanism comprising a gun, an electric motor and mechanical means for transmitting power from said motor to drive said gun, a brake for stopping the action of the gun recoil force on said power transmitting means, means for relieving the load on said motor, a solenoid for maintaining said brake in an inoperative position, a solenoid for maintaining said load relieving means inoperative, a normally closed electric circuit containing said solenoids and a contactor normally closed and arranged to be opened by the recoil of said gun, said contactor forming a part of said circuit, whereby upon recoil, said brake and said load relieving means will be operated.

6. In a gun positionin mechanism comprising a gun, an electric motor, an hydraulic pump driven thereby, an hydraulic motor operated by said pump, means to transmit power from said hydraulic motor to drive said gun, and control means for said pump; means to protect said mechanism from shocks incident to firing said gun, said means comprising a brake for holding said power transmitting means immovable, thereby preventing any gun movement under the control of said mechanism, a valve for bypassing the discharge from said pump, means for interrupting the action of said control means, a separate solenoid for normally maintaining each of said three last named devices in an inoperative condition, a normally closed electric circuit containing said solenoids and a contactor forming a part of said circuit, said contactor being normally closed and arranged to be opened by the recoil of said gun, whereby upon the occurrence of said recoil, said brake, said valve and said interrupting means will be operated.

U 7. In a gun positioning system that includes a gun, a prime mover, a hydraulic pump driven thereby, hydraulic power means driven by fluid from the pump and a mechanical element to transmit power to drive the gun actuated by the hydraulic power means: manually operable means to govern the pump, means to disconnect the manually operable means from the pump, means to by-pass fluid from the pump around the hydraulic power means, normally inoperative, means to hold the mechanical element stationary, means actuated by movement of said gun when out of battery to set up pressure, and means responsive to such pressure to disconnect said manually operable means from the pump, to open said by-pass, and to render inoperative the means to hold said mechanical element stationary.

PHILIAS H. GIROUARD,

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS umber Name Date 339,589 Spiller Apr. 6, 1886 1,472,885 Perham Nov, 6, 1923 2,101,306 Andrews et a1 Dec. 7, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 459,337 Great Britain Jan. 6, 1937 

